An analysis of 112 commercial cat food products found pathogenic bacteria and antimicrobial resistance genes exclusively in raw and partially cooked foods, posing potential health risks to cats and their human caregivers, according to a new study.
The study, published September 24 in Communications Biology, detected 19 bacterial genera in raw cat foods, including Salmonella, Clostridium, Escherichia, Klebsiella, Enterobacter and Cronobacter. No bacterial cultures were isolated from the 27 conventional, fully cooked products tested.
Researchers isolated carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Pseudomonas fulva from frozen raw products. Six Bacillus strains harbored a carbapenemase gene. Multidrug efflux pumps were highly abundant in frozen raw isolates. The study also detected parasite genes exclusively in raw foods.
Among the 85 raw products tested, freeze-dried products showed distinct microbial signatures. The study found that detection of Clostridium sensu stricto I genus predicted a raw, freeze-dried product with 95% sensitivity and 78% specificity. Genera Pseudomonas, Paraclostridium and Peptostreptococcus were associated with frozen raw food products, while the Bacillus genus was associated with conventional processing.
The study noted particular concern about freeze-dried raw products sold as shelf-stable items at room temperature, which may be perceived as safer than frozen raw products but still contained pathogenic species and high loads of resistance genes.
Research methods
The researchers used both cultivation and high-throughput sequencing techniques to analyze the products. Between 2021 and 2023, they purchased 112 commercial cat food products from three major online vendors and three chain grocery stores in New York, as well as directly from manufacturers' websites identified through web searches for "raw cat food." The foods represented 31 different manufacturers, whose identities were intentionally withheld from publication.
Products from the same manufacturer included different formulations, with emphasis on diversity of animal protein sources and textures. The researchers classified foods based on package labeling and website materials as either raw (not fully cooked) or conventional (fully cooked).
Textures were classified as canned, freeze-dried raw, frozen raw, kibble or fresh refrigerated. Products labeled as partially or gently cooked were classified as raw, as were shelf-stable kibble products with freeze-dried raw coating. When packaging was unclear, researchers anonymously contacted manufacturers to confirm classification.
According to the study, microbiota sharing between people and their companion animals raises concerns for development of antimicrobial resistance. The study noted the presence of pathogenic species and antimicrobial resistance genes in raw commercial food products could deliver health risks to cats and the families who care for them.
This study, Analysis of the microbiota of raw commercial feline diets to prioritize food safety investigations, was funded by the Cornell Feline Health Center Natural Nutrition Award.
Study citation: eboul, G., Malkowski, A.C., Yu, Y.T. et al. Analysis of the microbiota of raw commercial feline diets to prioritize food safety investigations. Commun Biol 8, 1349 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-025-08756-8
